IBM Clinches Patent Title for 20th Consecutive Year

Big Blue’s 2012 patent count exceeded the combined totals of Accenture, Amazon, Apple, EMC, HP, Intel, Oracle/Sun and Symantec, IBM said.
Meanwhile, Google and Apple showed solid increases in patent awards in 2012. Google had 1,151 patents last year, a 170 percent jump over 2011. Apple gained 1,236 patents in 2012, a rise of 68 percent over 2011. Google ranked 21st on the 2012 patent list and Apple came in right behind at 22nd. In 2011 Google ranked 65th and Apple was 39th on the list. Also, 2012 marked Google’s first time among the top 50 most-patented companies, while Apple only crossed the top 50 mark in 2010.
The Top Ten list of 2012 U.S. patent recipients with number of patents is as follows:
1. IBM – 6,478

2. Samsung – 5,081

3. Canon – 3,174
4. Sony – 3,032
5. Panasonic – 2,769
6. Microsoft – 2,613
7. Toshiba – 2,447
8. Hon Hai – 2,013
9. General Electric – 1,652
10. LG Electronics – 1,624
Data for the list was provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.
Examples of IBM’s 2012 patents awarded to IBM include U.S. Patent #8,250,010: Electronic learning synapse with spike-timing dependent plasticity using unipolar memory-switching elements. This patent relates to algorithms and circuits for efficiently mimicking the learning function of a brain's synapses and lays the foundation for a non-von Neumann computer architecture. IBM is working on a cognitive computing project called Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE), which aims to emulate the brain’s abilities for perception, action and cognition while consuming orders of magnitude less power and volume without being programmed.
Another IBM 2012 patent is U.S. Patent #8,341,441: Reducing energy consumption in a cloud computing environment. This patented invention describes a technique that enables more efficient and effective use of cloud computing resources, thereby reducing and minimizing energy consumption.